Wood is known as a versatile building material, and thermal modification further enhances its rot and pest resistance, dimensional stability and durability. These unique architectural projects involving Thermory highlight five innovative uses of thermally modified wood.

Maidla Nature Resort

For this treehouse-style hotel, nestled intimately among birch trees in the Estonian forest, architect Mari Hunt needed a natural material that’s both pleasant to touch and easy on the eye.

For the decking, cladding, interior floors and ceilings, she selected Thermory Benchmark thermo-ash – which is perfectly suited for buildings exposed to rain, wind and falling leaves – enhancing and protecting the attractive brown shade of the wood by oiling the boards.

Powerhouse Telemark

Powerhouse Telemark is an iconic energy-efficient coworking space in Norway. Designed as an example of sustainable architecture by Snøhetta, the 11-storey building’s unique shape includes a large extended roof that houses a terrace and a space for solar panels that generate more power than the building requires.

The entire construction, including many of the windows, is covered with angled strips of Thermory’s Benchmark thermo-pine cladding to provide shading and create an intriguing appearance.

Pelgulinna High School

Pelgulinna High School is Estonia’s largest wooden building, featuring a double façade with a minimalist design that applies the same profile in different configurations and a 300-metre-long wooden bench around the school. The supporting structure is 85% wood, with Thermory contributing 3,600 m2 of thermo-pine cladding and the same volume of thermo-pine glulam beams.

In addition to the fire and weather-resistant façade, wood is used in diverse ways including walls, rooves, ceilings, wooden terraces and even acoustic panels.

Sauna by the lake

This unique creation by WOVEN architecture studio and Woodmaster sets a high standard for design and sustainability excellence in the sauna industry. Enabling beautiful views directly from the sauna, which itself blends beautifully into its natural surroundings, the combination of durable materials perfectly exemplifies sustainable architecture – Thermory provided natural alder for the interior alongside oiled Mix & Match exterior cladding. The custom design is based on Auroom’s Natura model, with both wood-burning and electric heaters installed for ultimate convenience.

Grand Emily Hotel

YOD Group’s award-winning creation for the Emily Resort in Ukraine, Grand Hotel Emily features numerous bold architectural statements including a giant sycamore tree hung in the atrium that counterpoints the surrounding geometric forms and reminds us of nature’s magnificent power. Meanwhile, the walls are clad with Thermory Drift thermo-spruce boards in two tones, Black Pearl and Smoked Brandy, with a gently worn surface that provides a sensory touch experience and the look of reclaimed wood.

For the architects who worked so hard on these stunning designs, selecting the wooden materials was the easy part. As the world’s leader in thermal modification, Thermory has continually developed its expertise, technology and process over two decades, using just heat and steam to produce high-quality, long-lasting and environmentally sound products from carefully sourced wood to create the ideal non-toxic and sustainable materials for these projects.